Tides of Change: Chapter Five

Jade and Obsidian.

Before I start, I just want to say that I'll stop the rabbit trails after this. Honestly. No more Sailor stuff, or extra characters (Well, that ones sort of a half-lie, oh you'll see!), and I'll try to keep the story moving! Thanks for not flaming me people!

Oh, and after this chapter Jenny-Lynn will be referred to as either Jenny or JL. I figured it'd be a nice little homage, considering who their daddy is. ON WITH THE SHOW!

"Miss Scarlet in the kitchen with the knife."

Todd Hayden groaned as he read the answer.

"Correct!" he said, "Do we have to play this Jenny? You always win."

Jenny-Lynn Hayden smiled at her brother.

"Yep!" she said, "Come on, like we have anything else to do?"

Todd looked around their apartment. It was small, two bedrooms and a living room/kitchen, in addition to a bathroom. The walls where stained, with what he didn't want to know, the wallpaper was peeling, and the lights where constantly flickering. The stove was barley used and when it was, the siblings hid behind the couch in fear of it exploding. They only had Satellite because Todd had amazing hacking skills and a laptop computer. Right now, the Satellite was out. It would be for a while because of the heavy rain pouring down from the sky. From the forecast they'd looked up on his computer, it was going to be raining all week.

It was by the grace of god alone that they could go to school. They had fibbed about having a guardian and the school, named Hearken High, had never thought to check.

"I guess your right." he sighed, "Well, help me get it set up again."

The two of them set it up, and it was almost done when Jenny winced suddenly and caused the board to jerk. The pieces scattered as Jenny doubled over and clutched her stomach.

Todd looked at his sister with sympathy.

"It's happening again?" He asked.

She nodded. Todd got up and retrieved something from the kitchen. It was a bottle filled with strange looking pills. He dumped one or two out into his hand and shoved them at her. She took them gratefully and gulped them down.

"Sorry I couldn't get you any water. You know I'm gonna have to break into the system again soon."

She nodded and pulled up her sleeve. There was a strange birthmark was there, bright green as it had been since she was born (as far as she could remember). For some weird reason (having to do with Peanut butter, rings, plants and one slightly confused rat,) it was glowing. The light was bright, casting strange shadows on the room's wall. Slowly, whatever was in those pills dimmed the light down to a grave yard glimmer. She pulled the sleeve down, rubbing the spot slightly.

"Thanks Todd." She said, "That one was worse than usual."

"We've gotta get you back to Dr. Locke." He said, shaking his head, "The pills aren't helping any more."

"They help, just not as fast as they used to." she said, "Let's get this game started!" she said impatiently.

"We'd better not." He said, "You know those things always make you sleepy."

"Oh." She whined, "You never want to have fun!"

He rolled his eyes as he headed towards his room.

"Oh yes." he drawled, "Having you beat me repeatedly in Clue is such fun."

She smiled and went into her bedroom. Maybe tomorrow would be better. (To which the author would like to add a great big HAH!)

In the blackness of a room far away from anything, a light flicked on.

"Ah, Agent 176984, state your business." A clipped unidentifiable accent spoke the words.

"Subjects 9047883 and 8674348 update." This one was distinctly American, with a slight Asian hinting.

There was a pause.

"Report." the First voice spoke again. There was some emotion in it, almost eager.

"Sending you the Statistics Agent 67."

There where a few small faint beeps, then the first voice, apparently Agent 67, stated to talk again.

"Interesting. And you of course made sure these are all accurate?" Agent 67 said, their voice carrying a threat.

"Yes your Honor." Agent 176984 said, their voice not showing their fear.

"Hmm.."

There was another pause, this one longer than the first.

"Very well." It finally said, "Continue with my blessing Agent 176984, but be warned. If you are caught, we never knew you, or of you."

"Of course your Honor."

"Until next time."

The light went out.

There was a sigh.

"I almost feel sorry for those things."

Zita looked around the house.

"Well, it's better anyway." She said.

Cerdo woofed quietly, letting her know he approved of her working hard while he lay there. Sombra growled at her from her food bowl. Zita shot her a glare, then shook her head. The cat had hated her from the moment her Mother had brought her home.

She flopped down on a chair, looking out at the night sky. Her Mom had phoned a few minutes ago to let her know she wouldn't be able to make it home tonight. So it was just she and Dad. She pulled her legs close to her chest, feeling the fabric of her Pajamas. Her face twisted slightly as one of the bumps scraped the back of the chair. They where getting more and more painful every day. She rubbed the ones on her head absentmindedly.

Her parents would notice sooner or later, and then the whole thing would be dragged out, kicking and screaming.

Scratching and clawing...

Kim brushed some hair out off her face as she read the paper Wade had printed out for her.

It was a list of all the mutants at Middleton High. Apparently Wade had broken into a group called the Friends Of Humanity, or something, to get it. While he was in there he had also erased everything on their computers, let loose a virus, reprogrammed the printers to viciously attack anyone wearing a hood, changed the cafeteria menu to an all fiber and laxative diet, canceled the toilet paper order, and did some other things that he refused to talk about. She was going to destroy it after she was done reading. Everything was there. The classes they took, the after school-activities, right down to where they met every week. She read that part again. And again.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" She said, "Chess club?"

"Hey, no-one showed up anyway, why not use it for the uncommon good?" (1)

"What about Weird Arnold? He went there every day!"

"No one ever counts Weird Arnold." Wade said in a matter-of-fact way.

"Can't argue with that kind of logic KP." Ron said.

Kim rolled her eyes, but said nothing. It was best to keep quiet when the boys thought they
where right.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"How 'bout now?"

"No."

"And now?"

"Still no!"

"How about five hours from now?"

"Maybe."

"How about two hours from now?"

"Headless corpse!"

"What?"

"Oops, sorry, was that a question?" (2)

Jamie stared at the back of Warrens head for a second, then decided that he hadn't meant it really and went back to his favorite game, 'See How Many Times You Can Ask A Question And Not Get Yelled At For It.'. It was quite fun, actually. Two more hours had passed since the gas station, and a general mood of boredom had manifested itself in the blackbird.

Kurt had leaned his seat back and was sprawled on it like a dead cat. His arms and legs flopped in odd ways and his fanged mouth hanging open as soft snores filled the room. Jesse was staring at his Llama and giggling softly, Remy was sipping his soda from a foam cup and flipping through one of his magazines, and Dead Girl's eyes where glowing a dull, distant red as she hummed an old Beetles tune. Out of curiosity, Jamie had poked her a few times, nothing had happened. With such an anti-climatic end, it was hard not to be bored.

Jeans head shot up. She'd been dozing in her seat, her breath moving her hair slightly.

"Scott? Scott? Did you hear something?" she asked.

Scott's head turned slightly, jerking his whole body with the unexpected movement. They'd been in the air for six hours now, and he'd flat out refused to let someone else take the wheel. The only reason he was still conscious was that he'd commandeered the rest of Gambits soda and been on a sort of permanent caffeine high since. Behind his glasses, his laser framed eyes where crusty with dried tears that where failed attempts to keep his eyes moist.

"HeaR WhAt JeAn?" he asked, his voice deadly low and cracking.

"That sickening, thumping sound!" She said, ignoring the fact that he couldn't see where the jet was going now.

"Oh. ThAt's JusT mY HearT!" he said.

Jean blinked. "O-kaaay, Scott? I think it's time I took the jet's controls. Seriously." She said, unbuckling and getting out of her seat. "You've been driving for six hours, and you need a rest." she said soothingly, like she was trying to talk a scared or startled cat out of a tree. "Just, get out of the chair, and go have a nice nap."

Scott's eyes got big. He lunged at the controls, grabbing them in a death grip. "No! Mine!" he said.

Jean sighed. "Fine! We'll do this the hard way!"

Scott clawed franticly at the wheel of the jet as he suddenly became weightless. Jean took the controls from him just in time to see that they had reached their destination.

"Ah." she said. "Well, THAT was completely pointless!" She turned back to the other passengers and shouted (over Scott's wails) "Okay people! We're here!" She took the controls and set the Blackbird down near the large town they had been flying to.

"Middleton!"

Katherine Pryde sighed as she looked at the ceiling. Not again!

"AH AHM GOING TO KILL HIM!" A southern tainted accent echoed through the mansion, making the brunette haired girl jump. Kitty was codenamed Shadowcat, and could phase. A term which here means, 'walk through anything.'. She was also able to make anyone she touched phase with her. Not the most thrilling of powers.

Footsteps slammed down the stairs, quickly followed by a girl with dark brown hair and two white streaks. Rouge, as she was known, jumped off the last step and hovered in mid-air.

"Like, what is it this time Rouge?" Kitty asked as she folded her arms.

"It's Kurt. Ah told him ta stay out of my room with his little war, and what does he do? HE FILLS IT WITH WHIPPED CREAM!" She punched the wall in frustration, leaving a sizable dent in the plaster and wood. Kitty could feel the reverberations through the floor.

"Maybe it was, like, an accident?" She asked.

Rouge turned to look at her friend. "Kitty, he sprayed, 'Wagner Rules' all over my wardrobe." she said bluntly.

"Oh." Kitty's crest fell. "Well maybe we can, like, get them back?" she said hopefully.

"Whadda mean, we?" Rouge asked, "He covered my room in chocolate."

"I thought it was whipped cream?" Kitty asked questioningly.

"Apparently our fhurry friend wanted to make a Sunday out of my room." Rouge growled. "So why do you want ta get him back?"

Kitty's face scrunched up. "I still owe him for, like, chasing Lockheed." she muttered.

The punk nodded. Kitty was very protective of her baby Dragon. Lockheed seemed to have a vendetta against every male in the house, except for Logan and the Professor. He didn't torment Logan because the hatching actually liked him, and the Professor because he was no fool. A while ago, the institutes boys had teamed up against the phasers young dragon, causing wide spread mayhem and several burned mattresses. Just another day at the institute in other words.

"Alright, I'll get the crickets, and you find some champagne." Rouge said.

Kitty grinned manically. "This is going to be, like, SO much fun," she said.

"Hey, maybe when the Misfits show up we can get some of them to help." Rouge said as she headed out side. "I heard that Angelica, Lina, and Spyder made one dozy of ahn Idiot trap."

Kitty stopped in her tracks, her hands clenching into fists. Angelica 'Firestar' Jones, Lina 'Dragonfly' Chakram, and Olivia 'Spyder' Osnick were her lest favorite people in the world right now. Because of circumstances beyond their control, (except for Spyder, who just seemed to enjoy goading the older girl on.) a fierce, one-sided rivalry had sprouted up between Angelica and Kitty. Mostly this was because Lance had seen more of Angelica than either of them would have liked, and vice versa. (They are both long an embracing stories that the author will not disclose under pains of third degree burns and rock slides.) Rouge sighed.

"Y'all should really try ta get ta know someone before ya judge 'em." She said. "Angelica is really nice."

Kitty phased through the floor, cutting the conversation off.

"Touchy." Rouge said.

(1) Apparently I was wrong about this. Kim Possible: So the Drama said that there where members of the chess club, one of them a Brain surgeons son. At the time it had never been mentioned and I thought that it would be rather amusing for Kimmie Cub to ask to be signed up for Chess club.

(2) This is lifted straight from Dungeons and Dorks, a great little web comic!

How I'm going to distinguish Todd Hayden from Todd Tolensky I do not know. Any suggestions?

Yes, I'm sure a blind monkey could see that the X-men where heading for Middleton, which, by happy conicidence, is where I decided to put Terra!

Terra: Pardon?

Hey, I'm trying to keep the story moving, remember? Besides, this adds for some very interesting complications. Next, some old memories resurface, the Titans finally realize that Terra's flown the coop, and

I finished the chapter! Yeah!